OTD Admission

ACCREDITED DOCTORAL-DEGREE-LEVEL OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY PROGRAM

The entry-level occupational therapy doctoral degree program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 4720 Montgomery Lane, Suite 200, Bethesda, MD 20814-3449. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA and its Web address is www.acoteonline.org. Graduates of the program will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). In addition, all states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. Note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure. NOTE: In addition to the above statements, the program must have a documented and published policy to ensure that students complete all graduation, fieldwork, and experiential component requirements in a timely manner. This must include a statement that all Level II fieldwork and the experiential component of the program must be completed within a time frame established by the program. Students must complete Level II fieldwork and experiential requirements within 24 months following completion of the didactic portion of the program.

Admission to the Drake University OTD program is based on academic and personal qualifications that are necessary for successful, competent practice as an occupational therapist. Candidates are evaluated on the basis of the fit between their personal goals and the mission and goals of the OTD program. Prior education, work experience, honors, awards, service to others and leadership activities are also considered in the admission process. Prior shadowing in an OT environment is helpful, but not required.

Students can apply to our OTD program by meeting the following requirements. Please note that these are the requirements applicants must meet in order for their applications to be considered complete. Meeting these requirements does not guarantee admission to the OTD program.

Take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and have scores submitted directly to OTCAS (Drake's OTCAS institution code is 1892); no minimum score is required to be considered for admission to the OTD program

Earn a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university by the end of the spring semester prior to entering the OTD program

Earn a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher (as calculated in OTCAS)

Complete (or be in the process of completing) the prerequisite coursework outlined in the table below; all required courses must be completed by the end of the spring semester prior to entering the OTD program

Subject

Credit Hours

Drake Courses

Anatomy and PhysiologyA complete year course sequence in anatomy (one semester) and physiology (one semester) is required. Students may take a combined anatomy/physiology sequence, but they must take both semesters in order to fulfill the requirement. Labs are required.

General PsychologyA one-semester introductory course in psychology is required. This course must fulfill the prerequisite to allow students to take courses in developmental and abnormal psychology. A lab is not required.

3 credit hours

PSY 001 (4 credit hours)

Developmental PsychologyStudents may take a one-semester course in child and adolecent development, adult development and aging, or lifespan development. A lab is not required.

3 credit hours

HSCI 146 or PSY 042 or 044

Abnormal PsychologyA one-semester course in abnormal psychology is required. A lab is not required.

3 credit hours

PSY 076

PhysicsA one-semester course in general physics is required. This may be a course designed for physics, life science or health science majors. A lab is not required.

3 credit hours

PHY 011

StatisticsA one-semester course in general statistics is required. Business statistics, psychology statistics or biological science statistics courses are accepted.

English CompositionA complete year course sequence in college-level English writing or composition is required. The sequence can be made up of a one-semester college-level composition course and a one-semester intensive writing course.

6 credit hours

FYS and Written Communication AOI

Public SpeakingA one-semester course focused on public speaking is required. Common course titles include Fundamentals of Speaking or Public Speaking. Interpersonal speaking and interpersonal communciation courses will NOT be accepted.

3 credit hours

SCSR 073

Students must earn a grade of C or higher in order to fulfill prerequisite courses. Please see Drake University's Transfer Credit Information page or contact the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at (515) 271-3018 for more information. Students who wish to fulfill prerequisites using Advanced Placement (AP) scores must earn a 4 or higher on the AP exam. Please see Drake University's AP, IB and CLEP Credit policy or contact the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences for more information.

Drake University's Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program operates on a rolling admission process. We will interview and admit students until the O1 class is full and a sufficient number of applicants have been identified for the wait list. We recommend submitting application materials early in order to ensure your application is processed and considered in a timely manner. Students with strong applications and academic credentials will be invited to complete the second phase of the admission process, which includes a scored on-campus interview and a scored writing assessment.

Tuition and Fees

Official tuition and fees are set on an annual basis by the Drake University Office of Finance and Administration, approved by the Board of Trustees and administered through the Office of Student Accounts. Information regarding tuition and fees for the current academic year in the Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program can be found on the Office of Student Financial Planning website. Here, you will also find additional resources and other opportunities for financial assistance.

*Please note: The O1 and O2 summer terms are approximately half the cost of the fall and spring semesters in these years. The O3 summer is the same cost as the O3 fall and spring semesters.